Though we have been aware of a sunken boat behind a home on Hickory Road, when our Code & Police staff visited on September 30th, it was discovered that there were actually two vessels involved. As a result, we issued two separate Notice of Violations, one for each vessel. On about October 5th, both boats were refloated. I would like to highlight that the U.S. Coast Guard has visited the property and confirmed that there has been no environmental damage. Fortunately, the vessels did not contain any fuel or oils, preventing any spilling into the canal or waterways.
We will continue to monitor to ensure such situations do not recur.
Also, the same property currently has a lien for a dilapidated seawall. It has been accruing a daily fine of $250 since September 11, 2019. As of now, that adds up to over $375,000 to date. City staff, including the city attorney, are examining all options that we can pursue while the daily fines continue to grow. Please email me for further updates as this is obviously an on-going matter.